About two years before the Fidel Castro Revolution in Cuba, Jim was born to American parents in Havana in October 1956. Since Jim’s dad was a geologist for Chevron, Jim’s family moved frequently in his early years, but they eventually settled in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Jim met the love of his life, Lisa Hayes, at Baylor University, and they were married in May 1980.
Since graduating from Baylor, Jim’s career has taken him from large public companies to small private ones working as a geophysicist, geologist and manager exploring for oil and gas in the onshore Gulf Coast region of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Jim has also worked in many of the Rocky Mountain and Mid-Continent geological basins of the United States as well as several geological basins in Mexico and South America. Jim continues to work as a consulting geophysicist for a small, privately-owned company in downtown Houston.
Jim and his wife have been actively involved in church and ministry. Members of Houston’s Tallowood Baptist Church for nearly 21 years, Jim and Lisa both sing in the adult choir, and in past years, Jim also played the clarinet in the church orchestra. One of Jim’s biggest passions is teaching adult Sunday School. He also serves as a Deacon at Tallowood and is a Director for the Tallowood Foundation. Most importantly, Jim and Lisa have become passionate supporters of cross-cultural workers who serve in the United States, Brazil, Europe, and Africa. It is Jim and Lisa’s desire to give back as God calls us to help spread the Gospel with the resources He has given them.